Pot legalization advocates praise hands-off approach of…Bush?

posted at 9:21 am on July 18, 2012 by Mary Katharine Ham

The federal government announced this week it’s targeting California’s biggest medical marijuana dispensary— Harborside Health Center in Oakland— for closure and asset seizure. In one of the oddest cases of the Miss-Me-Yet phenomenon, the deputy director of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML) had this to say about it:

Many of California’s most prominent and well-respected medical cannabis dispensaries and related facilities — including Oaksterdam University, Berkeley Patients Group, and Harborside Health Center (HHC) — flourished under the George W. Bush administration. But they’ll be lucky to survive President Barack Obama’s first term.

On Tuesday, federal prosecutors targeted Harborside Health Center in Oakland, as well as its sister facility in San Jose, for closure and civil asset forfeiture. In court papers filed by the US Attorney for the northern district of California, Melinda Haag, the federal government alleges that Harborside is “operating in violation of federal law” by providing cannabis to state-qualified patients.

This is— shocker!— a violation of an Obama campaign promise not to prioritize medical marijuana dispensaries operating within state law. It also contradicts what Attorney General Eric Holder said in June to soothe activists in the face of crack downs.

“We limit our enforcement efforts to those individuals, organizations that are acting out of conformity with state law,” Mr. Holder told a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing.

According to a comparison of publicly available data from FOIA.gov, the DEA rejected more FOIA requests in 2009, 2010, and 2011 than it did during the last year of George W. Bush’s administration.

When every FOIA exemption is taken into account (exemptions are the legal exceptions that allow agencies to withhold information from requesters), the DEA cited 2,195 exemptions in 2011, a 114 percent increase over 2008, when it cited only 1,024 exemptions.

Meanwhile, in Colorado, pro-legalization advocates are appropriating an interesting figure for their billboard campaign— Pat Robertson:

Robertson is not working with the campaign and did not approve the ad before its placement. A spokesman for Robertson had no immediate comment on the ad.

At least twice, the evangelical leader has publicly offered his support for decriminalizing marijuana. In March 2012, he told The New York Times that he “absolutely” supports pot-legalization measures that will appear on November ballots in Colorado and Washington, but that he would not campaign for those initiatives.

“I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol,” Robertson told the Times. “I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think.This war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded.”

Cool kids George W. Bush and Pat Robertson vs. statist stick-in-the-mud, Obama? Maybe that explains some of the 18-29 polling.

Our president is rather fond of making law enforcement decisions on a piecemeal basis— see Dream kids and DOMA— so why not make this one of the ones he declines to enforce? He could pretty easily make a federalism argument for not going guns-blazing into dispensaries obeying state law, and in fact, that was his explanation of his campaign promise. Does he imagine the upside of looking like a tough, law-and-order type with older independents and conservative Democrats is worth the disillusionment of his young, hip base? I’m not so sure, now that legalization has hit 50 percent in the Gallup poll. Ten of the 16 subgroups Gallup tested support legalization at 50 percent or above. Women, southerners, Republicans, conservatives, and 65+ are all under 50 percent (50-64-year-olds just barely, at 49 percent).

Is it the combo of women and 65+ that’s calling him? If bin Laden’s not earning him those tough-guy votes, I’m doubtful pot busts do the trick, but I could be misreading. Would they really notice if the status quo were maintained in California? Maybe it’s an overture to centrists and older voters in swing-state Colorado, which allows medical marijuana dispensaries and has a pot legalization measure on the ballot. Federal agents have threatened dispensaries there, but only because of alleged violations of state law, in accordance with Obama’s campaign promise. This Reuters story bets young people will turn out in large numbers for marijuana legalization, ironically giving the anti-pot president a boost where he needs it most. Sigh, stoners.

On the other hand, Obama is more than happy to get involved in state laws when he doesn’t happen to like them— see voter ID and Arizona immigration. Could it be Obama’s choom policy is just a reflection of his true beliefs and not politics?

MKH,
Speaking of a “hands-off approach” and “no room for” something… When will you or anyone else at HotAir comment on the fact that whether or not Obama himself created it, the White House web site contains a PDF purporting to be Obama’s Birth Certificate, but an official law enforcement investigation has found that the PDF is “undoubtedly a fraud”. And that Hawaiian law allowed people born outside of the state (even outside the USA) to get a Hawaiian Birth Certificate.

Our president is rather fond of making law enforcement decisions on a piecemeal basis— see Dream kids and DOMA— so why not make this one of the ones he declines to enforce? He could pretty easily make a federalism argument for not going guns-blazing into dispensaries obeying state law, and in fact, that was his explanation of his campaign promise.

Dude, I’m sorry but the birth certificate issue is a non-starter because if it did become an issue 0bama could easily get a fool proof forged document sent out and that issue would backfore on those pushing it.

FAIL!

In case you’ve forgotten, a birth certificate if a GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT, and 0bama holds the highest office in Government.

Yep. It’s another shining example of Obama’s complete disregard for States’ Rights, which should be something that conservatives are as upset about as SB1070…but no. For some people, what’s more important is the boogeyman they’ve created in their mind about the evil Devil Reefer. Further evidence of Obama being a tyrant be damned!

Thing is, TFGRP wanted to strip Wisconsin of their ability to dispense medical marijuana until it was discovered that the glazed eyes, mopey faces, and incoherent mumblings of it’s citizens were natural and not brought on by choom smoking.

What people fail to understand is that a malevolent micromanaging socialist like Obama is INCAPABLE of keeping his hands off anything.

wildcat72 on July 18, 2012 at 9:36 AM

Correct. But also consider that at this stage of the administration, the President who constantly complains that his job is “too hard”, and wishes that the USA was run like the PRC (in between rounds of golf), may be simply doing things at random in the hope of getting some traction with somebody. Anybody.

Or, barring that, simply lashing out more-or-less incoherently at anyone and everyone he considers guilty of, not just opposing him, but of not supporting him strongly enough.

I’m wondering just how coherent Obama will be when the debates roll around in the fall. In fact, I’m wondering if he will even be coherent enough to participate in a debate, or indeed even recognize that that’s what’s going on around him.

I’ve never had a particularly high opinion of The One’s supposed superior intellect, or his mental stability. To me, this looks like prima facie evidence that neither one is as advertised, or ever has been.

They will not report on hear-say on such a deeply contentious issue. Besides, the most likely answer for the problems is that Obama’s dad was not there when the kid was born and did not ever intend to be there. It would not be an uncommon event in the black community. Sad but true.

1. Develop and use a test that measures level of THC intoxication, not the mere presence of marijuana. Stuff you shouldn’t do drunk, you shouldn’t do stoned.

2. Understand that even if you smoked notebook paper or organic dandelions, you are still filling your lungs with tar, and it puts you at risk for lung cancer. Don’t be all shocked and stuff when a link between marijuana and lung cancer is confirmed.

Come on, it’s obvious these recent efforts are nothing more than an attempt to counter the recent “Choom Gang” revelations. He will now rebut any comments in this regard with the assertion that “I have increased drug enforcement efforts dramatically from that of my predecessor”. Remember, communists eat their young and there is no ally that can’t be thrown under the bus for the cause.

Yep, Obama smoked Pot. And inhaled.
George & Laura went through a cocaine phase. And snorted vigorously.
Can we move on now?
The problem with angling every policy discussion around some sensational tidbit from the personal lives or youthful indiscretions of political leaders, is that you end up not having a policy discussion.
Kinda like your high on something and incapable of a rational thought.

Many of California’s most prominent and well-respected medical cannabis dispensaries and related facilities — including Oaksterdam University, Berkeley Patients Group, and Harborside Health Center (HHC) — flourished under the George W. Bush administration. But they’ll be lucky to survive President Barack Obama’s first term.

I suspect that the only problem here is that these organizations haven’t contributed to President Jackass McChoomer’s 2012 campaign.

Can’t the federal government put together some kind of seminar for businesses to teach them how crony capitalism works?

This is not hear-say. This is an official law enforcement investigation. And the investigation found that not only is the PDF on the White House web site “UNDOUBTEDLY A FRAUD” but also the laws in Hawaii allow illegal immigrants to get Hawaii Birth Certificates.

There are national security ramifications that go far beyond just Obama.

This is not hear-say. This is an official law enforcement investigation. And the investigation found that not only is the PDF on the White House web site “UNDOUBTEDLY A FRAUD” but also the laws in Hawaii allow illegal immigrants to get Hawaii Birth Certificates.

There are national security ramifications that go far beyond just Obama.

This is, as Joe Biden would say, a BFD.

ITguy on July 18, 2012 at 10:24 AM

Yep. Every single American passport issued on the basis of a Hawaiian Birth Certificate needs to be reviewed to determine if they are fraudulent. This is bigger than simply little Bammie’s qualifications for office.

Don’t care to ingest the stuff, but it should be legal and free in unlimited quantities to whomever wants to use it. And the Feds should be out of the drug enforcement business. It’s a waste of resources in a war that will never be won.

Some of you have made the hilarious link to asset forfeiture of the goods but the real goal is the money. While small in comparison to the FEDs overspending it is more money in the pockets of the agency that gets it.

Not sure a guy named “Dave Weddingdress” would play well up here in the High Desert tho pot legalization gets a lot of support.

And not really sure why Obama is riding this horse so hard when DOJ in its zeal to keep immigration enforcement purely federal ignores the “sanctuary city” right across the bay.

And finally:

Dude, I’m sorry but the birth certificate issue is a non-starter because if it did become an issue 0bama could easily get a fool proof forged document sent out and that issue would backfore on those pushing it.

That would be excellent, because if he produced a new birth certificate he would be admitting that the one produced in 2011 was phony. Breitbart pegged the issue as one of Obama’s credibility, and this scenario would play right into that.

Report dated 5 July 12 from Gen (Ret) Barry McCaffrey, former head of ONDCP.

“We now face increasing calls in the Latin-American community and in the US domestic political and media process for legalization of drugs as the solution to this criminal challenge to the rule of law. Legalization would be a disaster for the international community.”

“The problem with these illegal drugs is not their criminal restriction–it is their ferociously addictive nature–in particular for adolescents. Chronic abuse of illegal drugs causes the physical, social, medical, legal and spiritual meltdown of the addicted. Illegal drug abuse is destructive of the workplace and the family. These illegal drugs are also a terrible scourge on communities.”

“The lack of legal constraints and social stigma on the production and distribution of Schedule One drugs will inevitably result in increasing use and addiction. Without question law enforcement should not focus on the arrest or prosecution of the addicted. However, it is equally senseless to imagine that the widespread availability of these powerful addictive substances will not cause a gradual increasing disaster among the exposed populations.”

And when medical marijuana is covered by Romney…, er, ObamaCare, that will give Barry, El Presidente Ø, a reason to walk it back.
What a maroon. So are the idiots in Oakland, Santa Monica, Venice Beach etc. who think they are untouchable. Sticking your tongue out at jack-booted thugs isn’t ordinarily a good idea.
If and when THC becomes legal (the sooner the better), the whore doctors who are prescribing it in CA might actually have to work for a change.
~(Ä)~

It is hard to understand this move from a political standpoint, and political expediency drives ALL Obama Administration decisions. All Obama has to do is lay off and lay low, and he will have the support of a lot of people he wouldn’t have otherwise. So, why? Is it because he knows he will win Cali anyway? Does he think the “medical” marijuana people in other states won’t care? Or is it that he thinks in other medical marijuana states hteir numbers are too small to matter, or matter less than the demos he alienates over it? Is this particular op just too big? Or does Eric Holder hate white guys with braids or wearing dresses?

Hard to figure, and usually the political agenda being served is the only thing transparent about this administration.

ITguy on July 18, 2012 at 9:36 AM
wildcat72 on July 18, 2012 at 9:44 AM

Have you guys considered the possibility that it isn’t his citizenship but the identity of his biological father that is being concealed?

I can tell you without hesitation that dispensery owners and workers, growers, advocates and pot activists absolutely HATE Obumbles.

It’s positively hilarious.

Tim_CA on July 18, 2012 at 12:19 PM

That’s funny. Not being from California, and being somewhat old and out of touch, I would have assumed just the opposite — at least, until his recent ‘crackdown’ on medical mj.
Is there a source for that, or is it more along the line of personal observation?

That’s funny. Not being from California, and being somewhat old and out of touch, I would have assumed just the opposite — at least, until his recent ‘crackdown’ on medical mj.
Is there a source for that, or is it more along the line of personal observation?

That’s funny. Not being from California, and being somewhat old and out of touch, I would have assumed just the opposite — at least, until his recent ‘crackdown’ on medical mj.
Is there a source for that, or is it more along the line of personal observation?

Solaratov on July 18, 2012 at 12:56 PM

I can back this up, both from opinions I’ve gathered on pro-weed websites such as NORML, and from those in the business. No, there’s no citations for the latter.